From Struggles to Longevity: How a Non-Tech Founder Built and Sustained a Decade-Long IT startup

A journey to a successful and sustainable startup is not an easy one. Specially when you come from a non IT background and your journey is more than just doing business, it is about learning! With years of experience, I, Gaurav Kumar not only have learnt what a business should do to survive but how a business can thrive beyond your imagination in a decade or so. Know the common mistakes founders do while starting a business and learn what differently we did to outshine and survive in hard times. 

How We Started

Along with a friend, Rajiv Ranjan, I started a journey of a startup. The journey derived more by passion and lesser by knowledge. Though we understood the industry but we were not really a part of it and that is what we realised when we stepped out in the field and tried to make a move. Over the years of experience I have learnt two things - firstly that failures are really the part and parcel when you are new. Secondly, failures can be avoided when you have zeal to grow and make it work. Although, there are many more lessons my dearest experience bought. Let’s discuss them all one by one. 

Lesson 1: Scale With Bonding 

Starting a journey with someone, that is your co-founder needs you to bond better with them. Regular touch and discussions in every startup is important. Back in our early days, we talked for multiple hours everyday. Though we managed different responsibility but the communication made our bond stronger giving us a faith in each other’s decision at a later and much required stage.  

Lesson 2: Go Beyond Basics - Embrace Flexibility

Another most common challenge in IT industry is Outsourcing. This industry has a very high demand of outsourcing but not too good players to outsource it too. As compared to demand, there are very few who actually serves your purpose with the affordability. That was one of the worst challenge we went through out early days. Hence, we planned at WebOConnect, we can provide a solution to all the outsourcing needs. 

Moving further, in IT industry there are players who plays relatively safer. These players are letting go opportunities, not managing their schedule as per requisite time zones and limiting themselves to their bandwidth i.e., not taking risks for a higher jump.  

Lesson 3: Keep Moving

Moving doesnt always means keep wandering meaninglessly. A zeal to keep growing is justified well when you have a direction planned well. Keep learning in depth about your business. From being a non IT person to learning bits and pieces and today, providing most innovative custom solutions, we’ve brought a dream to life. For IT domain, prepare your own products and foster partnerships for better and advanced growth. 

Lesson 4: Not Only Sign Up, Retain Too!

Signing clients is the best part about startups. When you get quality clients your business need, you feel motivated. But the hack is not about getting clients in this industry rather it is more about retaining the top-notch clients. How to build good relations with your clients in IT industry?

• Deliver on Time

• Build Personal Relationships

• Understand the Need

• Be Responsive 

• Admit your Mistakes

• Be Flexible to Changes

Lesson 5: Chase Mental Challenges Away

Being a part of IT development industry, I’ve witnessed more mental challenges in the process of growing. There can be things coming on your way that feels huge but it is all about your mindset how you see them. It mostly lies in perspective. Such as many Web development startups wants to work in one or couple of said domain or with certain kind of clients only. This is where you miss out as a startup. In our initial days, the most helpful tip was we never said we cannot. We always tried to find out a way to make it happen. 

At WebOConnect, we focused on complex projects as well as never let simple ones feel they are not important. We churned out time for every kind of client with any kind of project they might come up with. 

Lesson 6: Technical Problems in IT Industry  

There are a few technical problems that might or might not be helpful for all startups but in IT industry, at any point of time, one must have been through these aspects: 

1. This industry is relatively harder to survive as there is a logic. It is highly based on Demand i.e., rapid changed in the expertise and technology. Every two years there is a shift in the buzz of this industry. 

2. Outsourcing can be really terrifying. In IT industry, outsourcing at some point to scale up is really important but finding someone whom you can scale up with is quite a struggle. Also, finding highly skilled resources in outsourcing services can be highly disappointing. 

3. Next technical issue here is having non tech background. Most of the people with busines skills not always from the IT background. 

4. It is also critical to measure delivery reality. Keeping realistic delivery point measurement is one of the biggest challenge. 

5. Another practical challenge IT industry startup fails because of is ignoring Digital Market - the Biggest Mistake!

6. This industry is full of Hit & Trail. Keep looking until you find what you need. 

7. Next, an IT startup can face resource crunch. Being in an industry where technology changes every quarter everyday resource allocation can be a challenge. 

8. Delivering on time is another challenge one faces in this industry. 

9. Numerous new tech development leads to constraints in global reach. Learning vs survival is a challenge here!

Get in touch with me. Let’s discuss the challenges you’ve been facing and find a way to perfect partnership!